NASA and the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have analysed measurements of Earth’s surface temperature dating back over a century. During this time, the surface has warmed by about 1°C on average, largely as a result of increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide and other gases relating to human activity. In 2017 NASA and the NOAA announced that 2016 had been the third year in a row to reach a new record high temperature.
Figures 1 and 2 show temperature anomalies — temperatures above or below a 5-year global average. Red indicates warmer than average, white normal, and blue cooler than average. For a video animation showing all the data from the 1880s to the present, go to:
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